What changes do you hope we see next year

[ozzie8]

Campbell talks about winning in the margins. They pretty much lost every game not doing that (missed FGs, drops, etc.......pretty much everything you cant do and win close games). Losing Brock and Norton early didnt help either. The running game never recovered.

They'll bounce back. Kids will emerge who we dont even know about yet that have been in the program.

 

[2forISU]

What? The redshirt guys are considered higher ranked than anyone on the field now

If they were better, we would have seen them on the field this year. Our wr's and o-line have a lot of ?'s and there has to be major upgrades to fill the holes next year. We lose 100+ catch player, starting over on the o-line, and saw little production out of the TE's. Our running backs might be better next year, but that doesn't matter if the o-line struggles again. I'm glad you're bullish on the future of the offensive side and the backups, I hope you are right.

 

[BCClone]

If they were better, we would have seen them on the field this year. Our wr's and o-line have a lot of ?'s and there has to be major upgrades to fill the holes next year. We lose 100+ catch player, starting over on the o-line, and saw little production out of the TE's. Our running backs might be better next year, but that doesn't matter if the o-line struggles again. I'm glad your bullish on the future of the offensive side and the backups, I hope you are right.

It all comes down to line improvement. We need improvement there for anything to get better.

 

[CyDude16]

Why?

Say he's disrespectful and subordinate, and refuses to make any changes at all.

What then?

This season was absolutely insulting to ISU, the players, and the fans.

To still be doing the same stupid stuff in game 11 as game 1, failing, and then blaming execution? Really?

That's pathetic.

$4 million plus to St. Matthew to get outcoached by a high school coach.

$4 million per year to still look unprepared on offense, and to waste timeouts at the worst times.

MAC Matty can go back to where he belongs tomorrow.

To think he could ever manage a major program or NFL team is laughable.

Did Matt run over your dog? Call your wife ugly? Or something.

 

[yowza]

Bringing navy blue back would be a boost

Only if with the Bugles helmets!

 

[Jeffrey Scott]

I still want to believe in CMC and everything he's done for ISU football. For me to stay engaged, I'd like to hear what he believes he needs to do. I know that the coach speak stuff will usually win out, but a good CEO will have a plan, put it in place and explain it in plain language. I think this is the time for CMC to really show us what he TRULY believes went wrong this year, fess up and tell us his vision for moving forward. I don't want to hear any more about being the best one can be, nor do I want any more winning in the margins talk. That's old hat and seemingly not getting us anywhere.

I once had a manager tell me to fix the problem or we'll both be in trouble. THAT line has stuck with me for my entire life. I wonder how CMC would respond to a line like that.

 

[stewart092284]

What? The redshirt guys are considered higher ranked than anyone on the field now

True but this is also concerns me a little. As much as we've struggled - none of them challenged for playing time.

There's two trains of thought - one, we didn't want to rush them and hinder their development and wanted to make sure they were ready.

On the negative - none of them were that great and aren't close to being ready which would be concerning.


Which one is it? I have no idea but obviously hoping for the former as compared to the latter.

 

[BillBrasky4Cy]

It all comes down to line improvement. We need improvement there for anything to get better.

While I don't disagree our scheme has really held us back too. The multiple TE sets consistently puts 8 guys in the box. Even with good line play that's tough to run against.

There's been a lot of discussion around coaching staff/structure but I think our offensive scheme needs a remodel. I understood the multiple TE looks when we had Chase and Charlie but it makes no sense now. We saw minimal involvement in the pass game form the TE positions, what purpose are they currently serving? I would LOVE to see us utilize the field more. Even when we go "spread" we don't go very wide. Spread teams out and create some favorable matchups. Trying to out muscle teams is clearly not working and it won't next year either.

 

[BCClone]

True but this is also concerns me a little. As much as we've struggled - none of them challenged for playing time.

There's two trains of thought - one, we didn't want to rush them and hinder their development and wanted to make sure they were ready.

On the negative - none of them were that great and aren't close to being ready which would be concerning.


Which one is it? I have no idea but obviously hoping for the former as compared to the latter.

Could be a combination of the two. May not want to rush the young guys, but maybe the older guys look better in practice. In practice, the QB won't be touched so the older guys probably look better with routes that are cleaner and more crisp due to experience. Hit game time and the heat put on dekkers and his heavy leaning on X might cause that to not carry over.

Break it down and out top three receivers are considered to be X, noel, and Stanley. We typically will have TE out there so there is our usual receiving corp. That opens the door for 1-2 (usually will have up to 3 TEs at a time also so that eats up WR snaps) to see some time out there.

 

[stewart092284]

true but at the same time I feel like we can rotate better than what we do. Sure, X is going to be out there 90-95% of the time. but If I'm a kid like Bitter - who had a pretty good day against Iowa - why do I disappear after that? Is he hurt? IDK.

It just seems there's some weird things like that on offense more than defense where people appear then disappear even if they haven't seemingly done anything.

Like - is Gilbert hurt? Why did all of a sudden Nettles kick?
Hufford back at LT? Didn't we see that experiment last year?

I presume Eli Sanders had been hurt because he went from not carrying the ball much to 10+ carries.

 

[BCClone]

While I don't disagree our scheme has really held us back too. The multiple TE sets consistently puts 8 guys in the box. Even with good line play that's tough to run against.

This is where we miss Soehner and Allen, even Charlie a little (does anyone know when Charlie will be rostered by the ravens), as they could block very well, they could lead block or catch back side stuff and would always be on someone. Our current crew just runs into the hole, saying go this way back, and most of the time not hit someone until the back is getting taken down by someone they passed up.

One of the main rules of blocking is hit the first open guy you see, because if you let them go for someone downfield, there is a good chance they will make the tackle or at least blow things up. We seem to look for specific assignments and let loose defenders go.

 

[BCClone]

true but at the same time I feel like we can rotate better than what we do. Sure, X is going to be out there 90-95% of the time. but If I'm a kid like Bitter - who had a pretty good day against Iowa - why do I disappear after that? Is he hurt? IDK.

It just seems there's some weird things like that on offense more than defense where people appear then disappear even if they haven't seemingly done anything.

Like - is Gilbert hurt? Why did all of a sudden Nettles kick?
Hufford back at LT? Didn't we see that experiment last year?

I presume Eli Sanders had been hurt because he went from not carrying the ball much to 10+ carries.

Agree, I think the Sanders thing is more of Brock being officially out and Silas not being able to break tackles and then fumbling in the previous game. He kinda went from back number 4 to back number 2.

 

[stewart092284]

Agree, I think the Sanders thing is more of Brock being officially out and Silas not being able to break tackles and then fumbling in the previous game. He kinda went from back number 4 to back number 2.

Good point but I just feel like the offense has players who just go away then reappear unless they're Dekkers, Noel and X.

And I guess my point about the young guys not playing was more about the offensive line. Like - are they that bad? Some of them have been there for 2-3 years so you'd like to think they'd be close to ready

 

[BCClone]

Good point but I just feel like the offense has players who just go away then reappear unless they're Dekkers, Noel and X.

And I guess my point about the young guys not playing was more about the offensive line. Like - are they that bad? Some of them have been there for 2-3 years so you'd like to think they'd be close to ready

Yeah, the Oline is definitely the scary part. We have Deyo coming up but I'm unsure who else we have. One thing I wish we did and I hope this happens with Deyo, is that we have a center for 2-3 years. They call the blocking schemes, get the line set correct and is the line leader. We have had basically a new center every year for a while now. It takes a few games to go from taking direction to looking out there, reading it, calling the assignments, and getting the snap down. It's one of those margin areas that we seem to be looking over. You need a solid center to coordinate the blocking.

I guess at this point, if we have some potential there, it may be best to not see them so we don't mess them up. We used to rotate offensive lineman so we would play like 8, seems like maybe 6 is the most we see in a game. If they are that bad, major fixes will need to happen there. I'm not sure how many graduate since I missed senior intro, but it's probably best if we have at least 2-3 new faces next year if we have a new line coach (which i hope happens) so we have guys who have not been so messed up in there.

 

[Urbandale2013]

But if you are going to use inexperience as an excuse- its going to be an excuse EVERY year. The days of have super seniors or guys being able to take a 5th covid year are not the norm. With NIL & transfer portal rosters are going to have much more turnover- so experience in your system will be critical. The saying RELOAD vs. rebuild is more meaningful in 2022 than ever before and will continue to determine which programs succeed.

QB
I agree QB is a tough position to know what you have until he takes game snaps. But this is Dekkers 3rd year in the program. I would have hoped he was ready to be an average Big12 QB. Kempf & Purdy were ready for game snaps and they had far less time in ISU's system. I am far from giving up on Dekkers, but he really needs to be coached up this off season. His accuracy is sub-par and a big reason is mechanics.

RB
IMO experience is RB is pretty meaningless. If a kid is going to be an upper tier back, he has it day 1. Sure he might not have great pass blocking skills, but a staff can work around that. Norton is a great example of a true freshman being ready. Injuries derailed both Norton & Brock's season- but I don't think RB talent was an issue on this year's roster.

OL
There is no good reason (other than coaching) why our this unit struggled. It is the most experienced position group on the team. Here are # of starts coming into 2022 season- Downing: 26 Starts, Simmons: 24 Starts, Hufford: 8 Starts, Remsburg: 7 starts, Miller: 1 start.

WR
We have a lot of experience in this group with Xavier & Noel being returning starters. Plus Stanley, Shaw and Wilson had a combined 10 seasons of D1 ball.

TE
Sure Hanika & Dean had basically zero TE experience behind Kolar & Allen. But they had been on the ISU team 2 & 3 years respectively. I didn't expect them to play at Kolar level, but I thought they would be solid blockers and average TE's. My expectation was that Steel Sharpens Steel and both would grown their games because they competed & learned from Kolar/Allen

I understand about 90% of Campbell's coach speak and have no issue with it. But the mantra that we are young & inexperienced is BS. Top 20 programs have the ability to reload.

To be honest, Campbell's talk of inexperience for me is coach speak for either:

• recruiting failures or
• poor development

I realize what I am saying is harsh & I love Campbell as ISU's coach. I hope he is here for the next 20 years! Because I think he is an outstanding person & leader of young men. But, he has some big decisions this off-season to get ISU back to the program that develops 3 star players into All-Big12 players and competes for Big12 Championships.

QB - Dekkers has struggled a lot tho year but I think the biggest issue is he has been forced into doing to much this year. Kempt and Purdy both had great running games to fall back on.

RB - This group really is an issue of injuries this year. Norton and Brock have both been injured most of the year. When Brock was heathy he was doing a good job. Norton has shown flashes but I think is still a little hurt and a freshmen.

WR - They have been ok but not good. Xavier has been really good aside from some big drops. Noel has been decent as well as Stanley. I think the others lacked development due to our scheme the last few years being heavy on TEs.

TE - they may have been here a while but haven’t played like at all because they have been behind two of the best TEs in school history.

OL - This group is just awful and needs to see the changes. There is nothing positive to say about this group.

Ultimately our issues come down to line play and a lack of creativity in the red zone. Heck Saturday we had over 400 yards of offense. We have an ability when we aren’t in the red zone. It isn’t spectacular and we can definitely move on from Manning but line play and red zone offense which is a Campbell issue are the problems.

 

[joefrog]

Did Matt run over your dog? Call your wife ugly? Or something.

No.

I just recognize trends. And incompetence.

Last year and this year were absolute wastes of talent.

We have a BCS level defense.

And our offense still can't run a hurry-up.

Curious, are you happy we are still doing the exact same stupid stuff in week 11 as week 1, failing, and then have to hear our coach blame it on execution?

 

[joefrog]

I still want to believe in CMC and everything he's done for ISU football. For me to stay engaged, I'd like to hear what he believes he needs to do. I know that the coach speak stuff will usually win out, but a good CEO will have a plan, put it in place and explain it in plain language. I think this is the time for CMC to really show us what he TRULY believes went wrong this year, fess up and tell us his vision for moving forward. I don't want to hear any more about being the best one can be, nor do I want any more winning in the margins talk. That's old hat and seemingly not getting us anywhere.

I once had a manager tell me to fix the problem or we'll both be in trouble. THAT line has stuck with me for my entire life. I wonder how CMC would respond to a line like that.

He'd tell you to leave the freshman kicker alone.

I don't want to hear anything other than announcements that offensive staff are leaving.

Anything other than that, and this isn't changing.

 

[stewart092284]

Yeah, the Oline is definitely the scary part. We have Deyo coming up but I'm unsure who else we have. One thing I wish we did and I hope this happens with Deyo, is that we have a center for 2-3 years. They call the blocking schemes, get the line set correct and is the line leader. We have had basically a new center every year for a while now. It takes a few games to go from taking direction to looking out there, reading it, calling the assignments, and getting the snap down. It's one of those margin areas that we seem to be looking over. You need a solid center to coordinate the blocking.

I guess at this point, if we have some potential there, it may be best to not see them so we don't mess them up. We used to rotate offensive lineman so we would play like 8, seems like maybe 6 is the most we see in a game. If they are that bad, major fixes will need to happen there. I'm not sure how many graduate since I missed senior intro, but it's probably best if we have at least 2-3 new faces next year if we have a new line coach (which i hope happens) so we have guys who have not been so messed up in there.

Honestly I'm OK if Myers is back if Manning is gone. If Manning's back, I think there has to be a new OL coach. Both could obviously happen.

Most of them are back - only really Downing is gone. But Bonifas, Peterson, Maro etc - I'd like to see them all.

 

[BCClone]

Honestly I'm OK if Myers is back if Manning is gone. If Manning's back, I think there has to be a new OL coach. Both could obviously happen.

Most of them are back - only really Downing is gone. But Bonifas, Peterson, Maro etc - I'd like to see them all.

I want a new Offensive line coach first and foremost. I'm not saying I'm a huge Manning fan, but right now our Oline has so many issues that it is difficult to do much. We are better between the 20s since our options are increased. Get in the red zone and the field gets compacted, the two safeties over the top are not over the top much since the back of the endzone can do that. The linebackers will be a step closer usually.

Do not take this as I'm saying manning is fine, I just think the Oline situation (whoever is in charge of them) has to be cleaned up first and then we will know a lot more.

 

[stewart092284]

I want a new Offensive line coach first and foremost. I'm not saying I'm a huge Manning fan, but right now our Oline has so many issues that it is difficult to do much. We are better between the 20s since our options are increased. Get in the red zone and the field gets compacted, the two safeties over the top are not over the top much since the back of the endzone can do that. The linebackers will be a step closer usually.

Do not take this as I'm saying manning is fine, I just think the Oline situation (whoever is in charge of them) has to be cleaned up first and then we will know a lot more.

See I get that but I see the offensive line has a product of manning. I think the lack of diversity, and options in the run game - trap, power, counter, etc - and lack of tempo or anything there and lack of a well developed route tree or moving the pocket and then beyond predictable red zone calling is more of an issue.

For me its like this -

back when I coached, I wouldn't ask a guy who runs a 4.8 to cover a 4.3 guy in man to man. That won't end well.

With the offensive line - if you don't have Tony Allen who can just maul everyone and their mother in the trenches consistently - then why do you consistently ask them to be earth movers when they have shown you for 10 weeks that they are NOT in fact, earth movers?

That's why I saw OC is more of a problem. Could Myers be better? Sure. But I feel like the offensive line is asked to fight with one hand behind their back because of the scheme and play calling style that Manning calls. And they're not good at that.

Two years ago we switched up our blocking scheme a little bit. And since we have struggled to block consistently. And that's why I don't know that I fault Myers as much as Manning. Because I just feel like he hasn't been helped by his OC.

Case in point - after 4 or 5 weeks - Manning and Campbell could have said "OK, we can't physically dominate people so lets add a power game or outside zone to take advantage of what we're good at" Instead we've kept trying to run straight ahead into a brick wall....

WHY? Did they give the OL muscle enhancers? Otherwise why think they were going to be better at mauling people when you don't have maulers? Again that's just why I think its a little more higher up for me . I think with better top down scheme, Myers is fine. But when there's a problem up top, he gets exposed because neither he nor his unit is good enough to over come a bad OC